About the author

Jimmy Burch has covered professional golf for the Star-Telegram since 1991. He’s received state and national honors for his writing but fills his own scorecard with more bogeys than birdies when he hits the local links.

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April 2008

April 29, 2008

With rare exception, players who uttered public proclamations about the redesigned TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course offered glowing reviews about the home course of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship during last week's event.

Sure, the typical nitpicks surfaced about difficult pin locations or being forced to play the back tees, rather than moving up to closer tees during windy conditions (both are decisions by PGA Tour rules officials, not course flaws). But the general feedback seemed overwhelmingly favorable.

Tony Navarro, caddie for Nelson champion Adam Scott, even went so far as to say: "I think you'll see at least four of the top 10 players come back here next year. This is what the top golfers are looking for ... A good test, but a fair test."

Based on a report posted on PA Sports Ticker, however, Navarro apparently isn't speaking for all caddies. Or all players.

The report cites an unnamed caddie saying he "spoke to a dozen players and not one had anything positive to say about the changes" made by architect D.A. Weibring during the off-season.

In the Web site report, the caddied added: "The course certainly looks better but everybody thinks they have made the greens even worse. The slopes are too severe, especially on some of the holes where you're coming in with a long iron."

And this was the kicker: "There's no way they'll ever get a great field here again, which is a shame, because the tournament could not treat us better," the unnamed caddie said. "The bottom line is that players set their schedule by the quality of the course first, the schedule second. Even a better date on the schedule won't help much if they don't like the course."

I couldn't agree more about the importance of dates and courses. I just don't believe that one unnamed caddie speaks for the masses.

The acid test will come in 2009, when the Nelson shifts to May dates that, theoretically, should help lure more elite golfers to Irving. The 2008 Nelson field included only one top-10 player from the world golf rankings (Scott), lowest in recent memory. If there is no increase in star power at the 2009 Nelson field, the unnamed caddie's words will carry more weight in retrospect.

For now, he qualifies as a minority voice. Let's let the test of time see if he proves to be a prophet.

Admittedly, most of the players who spoke in support of the revamped Nelson course fell into one of three categories: 1) golfers who played well during the tournament; 2) guys who were involved with the redesign effort or hopeful that it will succeed; 3) players who understand that PGA Tour officials don't like seeing golfers quoted about trashing tour venues, especially one that just underwent a $10 million overhaul.

After Sunday's final round, one veteran player was overheard telling friends that he did not like the course before the redesign and his attitude had not changed after playing 72 holes at the revamped layout. That's one player, who did not want to be quoted, to go along with an unnamed caddie, who did not allow his name to be attached to his quotes.

Harrison Frazar, a Dallas resident and PGA Tour participant who served as a consultant during the Nelson redesign project, said the feedback he received from players -- before and during the tournament -- was overwhelmingly positive.

"The feedback that I've heard from the top players is ... as soon as the schedule gets better, they'll be back," Frazar said.

The schedule should improve in 2009, when the Nelson is scheduled to be played on May 21-24. We'll see then how well the players truly liked the revamped Nelson layout.

April 27, 2008

Adam Scott buried a 49-foot, uphill birdie putt on the 18th green to end a three-hole playoff and defeat Ryan Moore at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Scott hit his drive into a fairway bunker on the final hole, then watched as his approach failed to reach the top tier of the final green before backtracking down the slope. Turns out, it didn't matter.

Scott holed the 49-footer, then watched Moore lip out a 16-foot birdie try from the fringe to seal Scott's first victory on the PGA Tour since the 2007 Houston Open. As Scott's winning putt approached the cup, the No. 10 player in the world golf rankings lifted his left putter in anticipation of a birdie, then offered a right fist pump after the ball disappeared.

"Obviously, I found my range," said a smiling Scott after dropping the winning putt. "I had been hitting it too close earlier (during the playoff)."

Adam Scott, the 54-hole leader, just buried a 9-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a sudden-death playoff with Ryan Moore to determine the winner of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Moore, the only golfer in the final four groups to break par in today's final round, capped a closing 68 with birdies at No. 16 and No. 17 to take a one-stroke lead to the final tee. Moore posted a par, forcing Scott _ who birdied two of his last three holes _ to respond with his closing birdie to force a playoff.

It marks the fifth playoff in the last decade at the Nelson and the 16th since the tournament was re-named in Nelson's honor in 1968. In the most recent Nelson playoff, Sergio Garcia won on the first playoff hole in 2004.

As things stand, the co-leaders will head back to the 18th tee for the first playoff hole.

After putting himself in prime birdie position, Adam Scott just fanned on the opportunity to pick up a stroke at No. 11. His chip skipped past the pin, leaving an 8-foot birdie putt coming back. He missed. And he remains a stroke behind Ryan Moore.

Scott is running out of birdie opportunities to be squandering strokes like he did at No. 11.

You've got to love Adam Scott's willingness to roll the dice. He just tried to drive the green for a fourth consecutive day at the risk-reward 11th hole (a 323-yard, par-4) and finds himself in great position to make birdie. Perhaps better.

Scott's drive hit on the collar of the green, bounced within 10 feet of the flagstick and rolled off the back edge of the green. He's staring at a 29-foot chip for eagle. If he gets down in two strokes, as he should, he'll bag his third birdie in four trips to No. 11 this week.

As things stand, Scott (6-under) trails Ryan Moore (7-under) by one stroke. But he's in great shape to pick it up at No. 11.

The last time a golfer posted a top-10 finish at the Nelson with a 1-under par total came in 1990, when four golfers (Fred Funk, Greg Norman, Tom Purtzer, Tom Watson) tied for seventh place by posting 1-under. The tournament that year was shortened to 54 holes.

Also in 1990, a five-player grouped finished in a tie for 11th at even par.

Looks like we'll be challenging that type of mark today at the 2008 Nelson.

As 54-hole leader Adam Scott prepares to make the turn to the back nine, only 13 golfers still have under-par totals at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Of that group, six players are at 1-under with multiple holes remaining.

Bottom line: Someone who posts a Top 10 finish at the Nelson may do so with an ever-par of over-par total. Suffice to say, it's been ages since that has happened.

Adam Scott opened the door and Ryan Moore has walked right in ... all the way to a tie for first place at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Scott put his tee shot in the water at No. 5, leading to a double-bogey that has added intrigue to today's final round. Scott stands at 6-under, in a tie with Moore, who just took birdie at No. 8 _ his second in as many holes _ to join Scott atop the leader board.

The two frontrunners are three strokes clear of their closest pursuers as they complete their front nine at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course.

The EDS Byron Nelson Championship began tournament week with U.S. Open-type scoring conditions (at least by past Nelson standards). The first-round lead stood at 3-under par 67, much higher than the average score by a Nelson first-round leader from the previous 23 years (63.7).

Now, another major championship has added its flavor to Nelson week. The final round is being played in British Open conditions, with temperatures in the 50s and north winds gusting to 30 mph. One day after watching fans stroll around in shorts, people are wearing parkas out there in the final round.

From a golf standpoint, that translates to a day of survival for 54-hole leader Adam Scott. Avoid major mistakes and it will be hard to squander a three-stroke lead because pursuers will have minimal birdie chances in these conditions. Scott is playing the part, thus far, through two holes.

He's gone bogey-par-par on his first three holes but has not lost any ground. He's still three strokes up on the field, with 15 holes remaining.

If Scott, the No. 10 player in the world golf rankings, can keep his shots from getting blown into water hazards as the day unfolds _ thereby minimizing the potential for double-bogey or worse _ he'll be a hard frontrunner to reel in today at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course.